Electrotherapeutic apparatus.



M. G. MGELHINNEY- ELEGTROTHBRAPEUTIG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILEDMAR.15, 1910.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

MARK G. McELI-IINNEY, 0F OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIG APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911,

Application filed March 15, 1910. Serial No. 549,559.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARK Gr. MoEL- HINNEY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, and resident of the city of Ottawa, in the Province ofOntario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electrotherapeutic Apparatus; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The invention relates to improvements in electro-therapeutic apparatus,as described in the present specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings that form part of the same.

The invention consists essentially of the novel arrangement andconstruction of parts whereby a condenser element receiving staticcharges of electricity from a suitablehigh tension circuit isperiodically neutralized to produce a pulsatory electric currentdischarge therefrom for electro -therapeutic purposes.

The object of the invention is to devise an inexpensive apparatus bothsimple in construction and operation, whereby a vibratory static currentof electricity may be secured for therapeutic purposes.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the device partially brokenaway to show the interior thereof. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view onthe line AB in Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a disk of hard rubber or other suitablenon-conducting material, having the circular flanges 2 and 3 extendinglaterally from one side thereof, and forming the central recess 4 andthe outer ring recess 5.

6 is a condenser plate secured on the outer side of the disk 1, andpreferably vulcanized in the rubber, whereby said disk presents aperfectly smooth outersurface, the said plate 6 receiving the staticcharges, as hereinafter explained.

7 and 8 are binding-posts arranged in the flange 2, or other convenientplace.

9 is a resistance coil of fine wire filling the outer recess 5, andhaving one end thereof electrically connected to the binding-post 7 andthe other end electrically connected to the condenser plate 10 securedon the inside face of the disk 1 opposite the plate 6, said plate 10preferably being formed of tin foil, and having a sheet of mica 11placed thereunder to more effectually insulate the same from the plate6.

12 is a ball, preferably made up of tinfoil, and secured at the outer orspring end of a fine wire 13, said wire being open coiled to render thesame as flexible as possible. The wire 13 is supported from the flange2, and electrically connected to the binding-post 8, and is securelyheld by the flange 2, so that the ball 12 is quite close to the plate10.

14 is a cover fitted on the flanges 2, and inclosing the coil 9 and wire13 with the ball 12 secured thereto within the recesses 5 and 4:respectively, so that the operative parts of the invention can in no waybecome misplaced, suitable orifices being left in the cover, so that thebinding-posts 7 and 8 extend thereabove, and to which are attached theterminals of a suitable high tension circuit.

15 are loops of wire preferably vulcanized in the' disk 1 atdiametrically opposite points.

16 is a strap or length of elastic secured to the loops 15, whereby theapparatus may be conveniently secured to any part of the body forelectro-therapeutic use.

In using the apparatus, the binding-posts 7 and 8 are connected to asuitable high tension circuit, such as the high tension terminals of aninduction coil 17 having the low tension terminals thereof electricallyconnected to the dry batteries 18.

The proximity of the ball 12 to the condenser plate 10 depends upon theelectric current employed, that is to say, the higher the tension, thefarther the ball may be placed from the plate. With a comparatively lowtension current, the ball will be supported correspondingly near theplate, the distance being only sufficient for a spark gap to be madeacross which the electricity will jump. It may be further explained inthis connection that although in the case of a high tension currentbeing used a spark varying in length from one-eighth to onequarter inchwill pass between the ball and the plate 10, a proportionate amount ofcurrent will pass between the ball and the plate 10 when a comparativelylow tension current is employed, even though the passage of currentbetween the said ball and the plate may not be readily apparent. In suchan instance the ball may be supported so that the spring lightly holdsit in contact with the plate, the oxidation ordinarily occurring on thesurface of the metals serving as a gap for the current tojump.Immediately preceding the passage of a spark between the ball and theplate separated by the air gap which serves as a di-electric an electricdisturbance or displacement is produced in the surrounding region, andabout the same magnetic field is set up as would occur were an electriccurrent actually flowing. When the current does jump from one electrodeto the other, an oscillatory current flows, and an oscillatory magneticfield is set up, most of which is readily attracted by the plate 6, andfrom the plate 6 will be readily transmitted to any body in contacttherewith to ground, such as the body of a patient.

WVhen the current passing between the ball 12 and the plate 10 is ofsuflicient high tension, sufiicient current may be collected from theplate 6 to be quite visible in the nature of a spark or wave, whichhowever will in no manner have the shocking effect as the currentpassing between the ball and plate. Even under such circumstances,however, it is not deemed advisable to employ a current of this strengthfor therapeutic purposes, and a high tension current is described in thepresent specification more with the object of explaining the operationof the apparatus, and when in actual use a current having much lowertension is used, whereby no visual results are seen in connectiontherewith, but an electro-magnetic current will be gathered by the plate6 just as above explained, and transmitted in minute charges to the bodyof the patient.

It must be explained that the coil 9 may be eliminated if desired,though a greater waste of current will occur during the operation of thedevice, and on account of the very small batteries that are used, it isconsidered advisable to have this resistance coil of fine wire includedin the circuit, in order that the battery may not be practicallyshort-circuited, periodically during the operation of the device.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. An electro-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a plate of di-elect-ricmaterial, condenser plates secured on both sides of said di-electricplate, electrical connections from one of said condenser plates to asuitable source of electric energy and an electric c011- ductorspring-held in proximity to said electrically-connected condenser plateand electrically connected to a suitable source of electric energy.

2. An electro-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a di-electric casing, acoil of wire contained within said casing, condenser plates secured tosaid casing on the interior and exterior of one side thereof, anelectrical conductor spring-held within said casing adjacent to theinner of said condenser plates, electrical connections from thecondenser plate adjacent to said conductor to said coil, a source ofelectric energy, electrical connections from said coil to one terminalof said source of electrical energy and electrical connections from saidconductor to the other terminal of said source of electric energy.

3. An electro-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a disk of dielectricmaterial having a plurality of circular flanges extending laterally fromone side thereof and forming a central recess and an outer ring recess,a coil of wire contained in said outer ring recess, a plate of metallicmaterial secured on said disk within said central recess andelectrically connected to said coil, a plate of metallic materialsecured to said disk on the opposite side of the aforesaid plate, a coilspring supported from one of said disk flanges within said centralrecess, a ball of metallic material secured to the free end of saidspring and supported thereby adjacent to the plate of metallic materialwithin said recess, and a pair of binding-posts having electricalconnection with said coil and said coil spring respectively.

4. An electro-therapeutic apparatus, comprising a disk of di-electricmaterial having a plurality of circular flanges extending laterally fromone side thereof and forming a central recess and an outer ring recess,a coil of wire contained in said outer ring recess, a plate of metallicmaterial secured on said disk within said central recess andelectrically connected to said coil, a plate of metallic materialsecured to said disk on the opposite side of the aforesaid plate, a coilspring supported from one of said disk flange-s within said centralrecess, a ball of metallic material secured to the free end of saidspring and supported thereby adjacent to the plateof metallic materialwithin said recess, a pair of binding-posts having electrical connectionwith said coil and said coil spring respectively, a source of electricenergy, electrical connection from the negative terminal of said sourceof electric Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of 10 energy to thebinding-post connected to said 1 f Canada, this tenth day of January1910. coil sprin e ectrical connections rom the positive t rminal ofsaid source of electric MARK MGELHINNEY' energy to the binding-postconnected to said Witnesses:

coil and a cover of di-electric material se- K. FRANCES MAoGIBBoN,

cured over said flanges. HATTIE R. CALLIs.

Signed at the city of Ottawa, in the Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

